TIPPECANOE COUNTY — Three years after the case was opened, a Tippecanoe County jury found a man not guilty on four neglect charges in connection to his adopted daughter.
Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect of a dependent, neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to commit neglect of a dependent.
Michael Barnett and his now ex-wife Kristine Barnett were both charged in September 2019 with multiple counts of neglect related to their adopted daughter Natalia, who came to the U.S. from Ukraine in 2010.
In 2012, the Barnetts, who have other children and are now divorced, had Natalia's age changed in Marion County Probate Court from her real age of eight to 22 and told the girl to say she was 22 if anyone asked.
Court documents claim the pair rented an apartment for Natalia in Lafayette in 2013 and left her there, alone, while they moved out of the country with the rest of the family.
Michael told detectives that his wife had told the child to tell others that she "looks young" but was actually 22, according to court documents,
In February 2022, four counts of neglect of a dependent were dismissed against Michael, online court records show.
The jury trial began on Oct. 24 after several delays.
PREVIOUS | Father claims adopted daughter was really an adult with dwarfism who tried to kill his family
WRTV's Rafael Sanchez spoke to Michael Barnett in October 2019.
Kristine's trial is scheduled to begin in February 2023, online court records show.
PREVIOUS: Attorney: Man accused of abandoning girl from Ukraine says adoption was a fraud | Indiana couple accused of abandoning adopted daughter and moving to Canada | Couple accused of abandoning young girl turn themselves in
-
Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman Trophy as college football's top player
Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback of No. 1 Indiana, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first Hoosier to win college football’s most prestigious award since its inception in 1935.
Indiana State trooper struck, injured by alleged drunk driver on I-465
An Indiana State Trooper is recovering after his patrol car was rear-ended by an alleged drunk driver early Saturday morning while responding to a crash on I-465.
NFL: Philip Rivers to start Sunday for Colts against Seahawks
Philip Rivers will start as quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, just five days after coming out of retirement.
$100K added in emergency assistance for Hoosiers living with HIV/AIDS
The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis is increasing its Direct Emergency Financial Assistance (DEFA) allocation, $100,000, raising the total funding for 2026 to $315,000.
